The Deacon's Bench

Chaput to religion writers: “Master and respect your material…”

Archbishop Charles Chaput delivered a terrific address to the Religion Newswriters Association recently — and concluded with this valuable thought:

Journalism is a “knowledge profession.” But like any other profession, the work of journalism doesn’t necessarily translate into self-knowledge or self-criticism. And any lasting service to the common good demands both. Journalism has its own unstated orthodoxies. It has its own prejudices. And when they go unacknowledged and uncorrected–as they too often seem to do–they can diminish our public life.

Religion journalism deals with the most fundamental things about human meaning, things intimate, defining, and sacred to many millions of people. So master and respect your material. Know yourself and your prejudices. Acknowledge mistakes, and don’t make them a habit. Be as honest with yourself as you want your sources to be. Understand believers and their institutions as they understand themselves. And if you do that–and do it with integrity, fairness, and humility–then you’ll have the gratitude of the people you cover, and you’ll embody the best ideals of your profession.

Writers and editors working in the mass media should pay attention to
Archbishop Chaput. I just saw the latest Gallup Poll (issued today Sept. 29) on how much the mass media is trusted to tell the truth in its reporting. A new record for DISTRUST has been set: 57% have little or no trust in the mass media.

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Previous Posts

This blog is no longer activeThis blog is no longer being actively updated. Please feel free to browse the archives or:
Read our most popular inspiration blog
See our most popular inspirational video
Take our most popular quiz

Big day in the Big Easy: 10 new deaconsDeacon Mike Talbot has the scoop:
10 men today were ordained as Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. This group of men was formally selected on the day the evacuation of New Orleans began as Hurricane Katrina approached. The immediate aftermath of the storm for this class would be